A New Sheriff in Town - Notthingham Forest

vjcsmoke

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July 8th, 2014.

Nottingham President Fawaz Al-Hasawi makes the best decision of his life. He decides to hire -me- to manage his club.

Hello, My name is Julius Caesar and I have just been appointed the new dictator-for-life here at the Forest.
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I flash a million dollar smile as I lean back behind the podium. I am at ease in my expensive custom tailored, white italian suit. The flashlight bulbs of the paparazzi do not faze me, I am in my element. I field the questions from the various news outlets, Goal.com, ESPN, BBC, whoever, I don't care.

Reporter 1: Do you find news of your appointment surprising? In terms of managerial experience you are a relative unknown, despite having international experience as a footballer.
Caesar: I am never surprised, I save those for my matches. *wide smile*
Reporter 2: What are your ambitions with the current club, the media has predicted a 5th place finish for Notthingham.
Caesar: The predictions are *rubbish*. Simply put, I aim to conquer the football world. We will start by winning the Championship and a promotion to the Premier Division.
Reporter 3: What kind of football style can we expect to see played by your team?
Caesar: Conquer, Dominate, and Subdue. Any other questions? *stifled yawn*
Reporter 3: I meant in terms of formation?
Caesar: *Raises eyebrow* I already covered that question, next!
Reporter 4: Will you be making a splash in the transfer market?
Caesar: I will acquire additional pieces as required for my master plan.
Reporter 4: Any names in particular?

Caesar: You will find out when it pleases me. *clears throat* Now listen up. Some very smart and very rich people have just hired me to lead THIS club. I was brought in here to WIN. It's in my DNA, and it's in my players' DNA. Those who do not have the appropriate DNA will be discarded. Those who want to win and contribute to winning can stay.

Believe it or not I carefully researched the history of this club before agreeing to join. Nottingham Forest was established nearly 150 years ago since 1865. It has a proud and rich tradition, but it is currently far from it's former heights. The last time we won the FA Cup was 55 years ago in 1959. The last time we won the Champions Cup was 34 years ago in 1980. The last time we won the First Division was 36 years ago in 1978. And the last time we won the Championship was 16 years ago in 1998.

I will build here before your eyes a Football Empire. You will observe my Conquests. You will Praise me, you will Curse me, but in the end you will have no choice but to Follow me. For the Doings of Great Men will always fascinate those who want to see History made before their very eyes.

My objective is not to be popular. My objective is not to please anyone but MYSELF. And what pleases me the most is WINNING. So just get out of my way and watch GREATNESS at work! That is all. *gets up and leaves podium, ignoring all additional questions fired his way*


[First Post of this New Story! Excited to find out more? Should I continue?]
 
Rise to Power: Painting the Town Red

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I intended to make my presence felt. And the beginning of my reign began with the chopping of the Headman's Axe.

The first to go by way of mutual termination would be assistant coach Steve Wigley. My right hand man needed to be someone I worked with closely every day. Of course he must be hand picked. I chose John Murtough.

The next staff member to be shown the door was John Marshall. I took one look at his scouting reports and decided they lacked the detail I required to make the key decisions on player acquisitions. I hired Paul Mitchell to take his place.

In all honesty, I had some other names in mind as well, but they would not deign to consider working for a mere championship side. That was fine, I would mold this staff in my image, and once we reached greater heights, I could pick and choose from the best and brightest minds in the football world at that point in time.

Then I set assignments to scout the UK and Europe for the best talent available. Unfortunately our limited resources did not allow us to send scouts on extended visits to the Americas. Inwardly I seethed at the limitation but acceptance settled in. We would make do with limited resources. Like Hannibal did when he charged to victory across the Alps.

I examined my squad closely. An honest evaluation revealed a side good enough to compete in the top 4 easily. With proper leadership and a few key additions, we could deal some serious damage. Unfortunately some of my most desired targets spurned our advances, even though their clubs were willing. I cursed their agents under my breath, even as I smiled and nodded and agreed to revisit at another point in time.

Despite all the No's, there were a few key Yes's to be had.

My first acquistion of the summer window was 17 year old Italian wonderkid striker Federico Bonnazoli from Inter for a fee of £1.3m. I'd like to think that the Italian connection partly convinced Federico to join. Although the fact we doubled his agent's requested salary probably had more to do with it. This signing was all about upside. If Bonnazoli panned out as projected, he wouldn't just be good for the Championship, he could easily become a leading player in the Premier Division.

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That was closely followed by us inking under-utilized fullback Yllhi Sallahi from Bayern for a fee of £450k. My sales pitch to the Austrian was brief and to the point - First XI Minutes. He was sold!

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Next we acquired creative attacking midfielder Humam Tariq from Iraqi club Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya for £250k. My main disappointment was the difficulty in acquiring a work permit for the 18 year old field general.

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Next came 24 year old english keeper Ben Amos from Manchester United for a fee of £450k. Ben had started a grand total of 1 match in 8 full seasons with Man U. With Nottingham, he would actually get playing opportunites. It didn't take much convincing. "Pick out the splinters from your ***, I'm giving you a chance to play here at the Forest!"

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And then we raided Arsenal for french defensive midfielder Francis Coquelin. At the DM position we needed a player with a responsible game, who could still pick out a pass on the counter. Francis looked like a proper fit for the role and so we signed him for the sum of £1.3m.

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And last but not least came 19 year old english midfielder Ben Pearson. His main challenge was lack of height, a Napoleonesque 5'5". But he looked to be one of the most determined players on the pitch. I don't mind giving that type of player a shot. So for £400k he joined the Reds.

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Transfers (OUT):

Greg Halford, CB, to Fulham for £1M. The 29 year old English defender's contract was running out. And I felt he would be of no use to us at the next level, so I let him go a little early. I would later loan a replacement CB from Dortmund.

Dorus De Vries, GK, to Heracles for £300k. With the arrival of Ben Amos, it was time to say goodbye to the 33 year old Dutch keeper. I could not afford sentimentality, with my sights set on reaching the next level.

Given our limited funds, free transfers and loans would also play a key part to our success in this initial season.

Unfortunately the free transfer market was fairly bare, thanks to the fact that most targets snubbed our advances in favor of larger, more reputable clubs.

Free Transfers (IN):
Future Transfer arranged - Luka Jovic, Striker, Red Star.
My scouts raved. They called him the next Darko Pancev. He's going to be legendary, they said. Fine, I overpaid on the bonuses and salary to convince him to come. The 16 year old Striker will arrive in the winter window of 2016. Good things come to those who wait.

Free Transfers (OUT):
Danny Collins CB. I let it be known that the 34 year old centerback was available on a free and Sheffield United rang back. As he cleaned out his locker, I wished Danny the best of luck at his new club.

Loan Transfers (IN):
Siebe Schrijvers, Striker, Genk. The precocious 18 year old Belgian striker showed a penchant for scoring on film. he wasn't the biggest or most athletic on the field, but when I looked hard, I thought of ways to use him, like a surgeon uses a scalpel to cut open a patient, I could use him to slice open defenses at the Championship level.

Marrian Sarr, CB, Dortmund. The 19 year old German defender showed good defensive instincts when we reviewed his film. He wasn't the quickest, but he was good under pressure and didn't get caught out of position often. With proper coaching he could develop into a useful piece for us.

Danilo Cataldi, DM, Lazio. Even at 20 years of age, the Italian midfielder showed nice touch and high football IQ on the field. He played a responsible two-way game that would allow him to create as well as contain his man. I felt we had a bargain in the making if Danilo could deliver on his promise.

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Caesar addresses the Troops: Men, I have gathered you all here for one purpose, Conquest. Let me ask you a question, do you know why the Roman Legion was one of the most feared armies in all the ancient world? *pauses* Do you know why they conquered so many territories, that they ended up controlling the entire Mediterranean, and thus Europe?

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In a word, Discipline. In other words, Singularity of Will. There can be only ONE commander, and that is ME. You must act as extensions of me on the field. When I wiggle my fingers, you will do exactly as planned. When I wiggle my toes, you will execute as we practiced. And when I am done wiggling my toes and my fingers, you will have conquored our Foes and crushed them beneath your collective heel!

You can love me or you can fear me. All that matters is that you Obey me. This is the price of Winning. If you can accept that, I will Lead you to Glory. If you can't, then get out of my sight and get off My Field! We Rise and Fall as One men. Remember that. I can see we have a LOT of work ahead of us. So let's get ON with it!


[And that's it for the summer transfers, for now! Stay tuned as we now start playing the games, our sights set for the top!]
 
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Take NO Prisoners -- An Open Declaration of War!

Our season in the championship opened against Blackpool on our home turf. Blackpool had recieved a media prediction of 23rd.

My pre-game speech was simple and short: If we lose this game to Blackpool, on our home turf, two things will happen. One - you will lose your starting job. Two - you should dig deep and seriously consider playing a different sport. A sport where being half a man is considered acceptable. Now get out there and rip these blokes a new one!

The men came out United in their Fury. Ylli Sallahi started off the scoring by tucking in a beautifully placed pass from Andy Reid in just the 13th minute. Matty Fryatt then banged home Jack Hunt's cross with authority to put us up 2-nil in the 21st minute. Our domination would continue in the 2nd half as centerback Kelvin Wilson headed home off Matty Fryatt's well timed pass across the face of the goal to give us 3 unanswered scores.

Britt Assombologa then proceeded to crush any hopes and dreams of a Blackpool comeback by scoring our 4th goal of the game off a Matty Fryatt rebound in the 67th minute. I felt my left toe wiggling. The game appeared in hand.

That is until an errant pass from Sallahi led directly to Delfenouso's reply goal in the 68th minute. I resisted the urge to strangle somebody. Chris Cohen then set up unmarked loanee Siebe Schriejvers who responded with a magnificent 25 yard strike which found nothing but the back of the net in the 72nd minute. The fans were ecstatic and let their pleasure be heard!

Those ecstatics cheers were just as quickly followed by intakes of disbelief, as poor marking led to Mendy's 20 yard reply strike in the 73rd minute. Although the letdown goal was disappointing, a 6-2 lead at this point in the game would prove to be insurmountable. Chris Cohen delivered the cherry on the top with a 7th goal in the 89th minute as crisp team passing led to what looked like an inevitable result. The 7-2 opening victory clearly Announced our Intentions of War to the other teams of the Sky Bet Championship!

End of Match Address to the Men: This line comes from a famous movie. A great general once asked a great warrior, what is best in life? This is how he responded - "Crush your Enemies. See them driven before you. Hear the lamentations of their women."

Well we beat em so bad, we **** well Did Hear the Lamentations of their women today!! Well done men! Today we added the first notch to our belt. But we have a long campaign ahead of us. Gird your loins, men. We've got plenty more enemies to crush and drive before us!

[More Reds Action to come!! Are you ready to see us make grown men cry? ;-)]
 
I like the style! a great first win of the season there and some amazing transfers for Forest!
 
War and Honor: The Pursuit of Excellence


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The Opening round of the Capital One Cup would see us facing off against Skybet League 2 Side Accrington at the Crown Ground. It was a chilly day in August and an important start to our first Cup competition of the season.

Caesar prematch address: Never forget that today we tread on enemy ground. When we do so, acting in total Unity is more important than ever. Have each others backs, probe for their weaknesses, and strike fast and strike hard when the opportunity arises. As the tactical genius Sun Tzu once said, “Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”

Our side entered the pitch with confidence, giving off a menacing aura of danger that our oppnents could feel. Our early aggression paid dividends as Accrington crumbled before the onslaught. The first goal came in only the second minute of action as Michail Antonio's dangerous cross was headed into Acrington's own net by defender Callum Gunner in an inept clearing attempt.

The minnows of Accrington continued to feel the heat as we forced another error. This time Dan Harding's strike was in danger of causing the ball to trickle across the line. A hard sliding Dylan Smith nicked the ball into his own net as the Accrington fans groaned in dismay. Now up 2-0 in just the 23rd minute we were in complete control of the match.

But I did not call off the Hounds! Just as Sun Tzu predicted centuries ago, we hit Accrington on a flash counter. Fox dished out a beautiful cross and Michail Antonio provided the Thunder as he ripped home his first goal of the game, giving us a commanding 3 goal lead. At this point, some disgusted Accrington fans could be seen slipping out, hoping to beat traffic, even though it was not yet half time!

In the 50th minute overmatched Accrington defender Dylan Smith was penalized for a handball in the penalty box area. Dexter Blackstock finished from the dot with ease as we closed the scoring 4-0. Scattered boos could be heard from the crowd as the Accrington Side shuffled off, completely humiliated. One player who shall go unnamed could even be seen sniffling back tears of disappointment.

Caeser End of Match Address: To the Victors go the Spoils. Remember well the bitter looks on the faces of your fallen foes this day. If you do not want to taste the sickening despair they now taste, work harder than ever to ensure victory. Let their defeat be your guide on what not to do. That was a well earned Win men, now we're on to the next one!

[Capital One Cup action to be continued, as long as we're in it!]
 
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August 15th, 2014

Reporter: Julius Caesar, thank you for sitting with us for this interview. You've just recently been named as the new manager of Nottingham Forest and so far in the season you've delivered a resounding opening day win in the Skybet championship as well as a convincing win in the Capital One Cup. Do you feel this run can go on?
Caesar: Of course it can. I wasn't hired to lose now, was I?
Reporter: I see. Now there are some who say you come off as sort of arrogant. How do you respond to your detractors?
Caesar: If they are man enough to detract in my presence, they are welcome to do so, and see how my fist feels against their face. Only spineless cowards whisper behind your back.
Reporter: That sounds kind of violent...
Caesar: I do not deal with sounds. I deal with reality. Football is a game of conquest. If you do not have the balls to deal with Caesar in person, then put on a skirt so everyone can see who you really are!
Reporter: Next up your side faces Bolton Wanderers in what might be a tricky away game. What is your assessment of your upcoming opponents?
Caesar: Their defenders are slow. Like lumbering dinosaurs. We will exploit this and show them why they should have had the good sense to go extinct millions of years ago.
Reporter: That's not very charitable, is it?
Caesar: *snorts* I don't run a charity. I run a football club. You can print that.
Reporter: We will! Thank you for your time Caesar. Talking with you has been ... different than expected.
 
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Prematch Interview - August 16th 2014
Reporter: Tony, the opposing side's manager has made some pretty derogatory comments about your defense coming into this match. What's your reaction?
Tony Mowbray: That Caesar guy thinks he's some kind of hotshot but he's going to get a dose of reality today.
Reporter: Are you predicting a home win then?
Tony Mowbray: We'll do our talking on the pitch. The Results will speak loud and clear for us. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a match to attend.

It was a wet day at Macron stadium. My only concern was that a wet pitch would allow Bolton's dinosaurs to play on closer footing with our attackers. Bolton drew first blood when fullback Diouf found lone striker Odelusi with a spot on cross which he put it away at the 26th minute mark. I threw up my hands and cursed in Italian. I switched to English so that my defense could get an earful - "If you gave him any more open space, he could have parked a stretch limo. Now Wake up and do your ****** Jobs!"

Our side would quickly respond. In the 30th minute we forced a corner, and newcomer Francis Coquelin struck a scorcher. Bolton forward Odelusi didn't know which way to react as the ball deflected off him and he was credited with an embarrassing own goal. All knotted up at 1. Our first goal was a confidence booster. Our players loosened up significantly. The next goal of the match would come in the 37th minute thanks to Jack Hunt's beautifully lofted cross, which Chris Cohen headed top shelf past the hands of Bolton keeper Bogdan.

We took advantage of the building momentum to strike just before the half. Loanee Danilo Cataldi collected his own rebound and viciously struck our 3rd goal of the game into the upper left corner. Bolton surely was not happy to go into the half down 3-1. Francis Coquelin got his name on the scoresheet by collecting a Cataldi rebound and banging home our 4th goal in the 69th minute.

Bolton was sinking without a trace and as I predicted their defenders reacted too slowly to clear our second chance opportunities. The Bolton defense compounded their errors by tripping winger Jamie Paterson in the 80th minute. On the penalty attempt, Britt Assombolonga capped the blowout by beating the keeper cleanly with a ball that whistled on the way in. We came off the pitch as well deserved 5-1 road victors.

Julius Caesar: Men, today we were dinosaur hunters. We found our prey, we took them down, we skinned them, we cooked them, and we emerged with a tasty 5 course meal! Never forget the law of nature, the Strong take from the Weak. That's exactly what happened today. Great win! Let'***** the showers. We've got another big road game coming up next.
 
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Opening Assault: Taking the Skybet Championship by Storm

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August - September 2014

Over these two opening months, we would deliver our message loud and clear - we are here to Conquer the Skybet Championship. We blitzed our opponents hard, taking no prisoners, and giving no quarter. And at the end of those two months, we would stand tall on the mountaintop, looking down on all the challengers we had vanquished.

But let's review for a minute before we jump to the view of the league table. How did we get to that point?
Quite honestly, I worked the men to the bone. I worked them ruthlessly, I had them running windsprints and drills till they cursed the very sight of our coaching staff. Till they thought they could give no more.

Then, I gave them a day of rest. And by match day, they could enjoy themselves, the game was easy compared to the **** I made them go through in practice. So what happened after Bolton, you may ask? Great question.

First we beat Bournemouth away 2-1. Andy Reid was the hero, putting us up in the 19th minute. And Tommy Elphick was the zero, scoring an own goal that secured the win for us in the 35th minute. A late 91st minute by Pugh off a well executed corner set piece proved to be too little too late.

Next we entertained Reading at the City Ground. We delivered a 6-1 drubbing, headlined by Dexter Blackstock's Brace. The Royals were 'royally' beaten.

We then faced off against Peterborough at home in further Capital One Cup Action. Our men convincingly trounced our visitors, by a 4-1 score. German loanee Siebe Schrijvers cut through the Peterborough defense like a hot knife through butter as he scored himself a brace. Siebe proved himself to be one of the smarter loan decisions we have made this season!

We hit the road to face Sheff Wed and this time young 21 year old striker Britt Assombalonga proved his mettle by bagging two goals in our 3-1 road victory.

Next we faced rival squad Derby in the friendly confines of City Ground.

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This game turned into a Goal Derby, pun intended! The constant thorn in our side turned out to be 26 year old Scottish striker Chris Martin who scored a hat trick against us! Luckily, as brilliant as Martin's offensive effort, Derby's defense played far worse. On this day, our midfielders showed our fowards how to score!

Defensive Midfielder Francis Coquelin started off the scoring frenzy with a goal in just the 6th minute of play. Midfielder Chris Cohen would put the Rams' defense to the sword with two goals of his own. And Midfielder Henri Lansbury's 45th minute strike before the half gave us a commanding 4-0 lead. Chris Martin tried to will his side back into the game, but even 3 goals was not enough to prevent our eventual 5-3 triumph. Nottingham fans were thoroughly entertained as we defeated our rivals at home.

We continued our good run against Fulham. Congo Striker Britt Assombalonga again showcased his dominance by scoring two incisive goals against the Cottagers. His blistering strike off a tidy Michail Antonio feed in the 90th minute sealed our 3-1 victory.

And then the goose laid an egg. We suffered our worst loss of the season, a heavy 2-7 defeat by the hands of Millwall. The lack of team cohesion, effort, and execution was an absolute embarrassment. I didn't care that it was an away game, there was just no excuse for that type of play. So I took matters into my own hands. The next day I had 26 pairs of special shoes laid out for each of my 1st team squad to wear.

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"What are these?", asked the men, when they saw the colorful, oversized shoes that had been carefully set out in front of each individual lockerroom.

Caesar: They are exactly what they appear to be. CLOWN SHOES. Because when you play like Clowns, when you embarrass yourselves, when you act like a BIG JOKE. You've got to OWN IT. Your play against Millwall was completely UNACCEPTABLE. So NOW, you will spend the entire practice, running in these CLOWN SHOES, practicing in these CLOWN SHOES, taking shots in these CLOWN SHOES, and drilling in these CLOWN SHOES.

You will remember exactly how awkward, and STUPID you feel today. So that you will never let such a thing happen again in your life. If you don't want to feel like CLOWNS, well then don't ****** PLAY like CLOWNS! Capiche? Anyone who objects to wearing these CLOWN SHOES can take a 1 week salary fine right now, and if you don't practice in the CLOWN SHOES today you can take a 2 week salary fine. And another week's salary fine for each practice you don't wear them until you do. My advice? Wear the ****** shoes today, get it over with, and NEVER embarrass yourselves like you did against Millwall again!

After the Clown Shoes incident, we faced Liverpool in a thrilling closely contested Capital One Cup encounter, which I will lay out in full detail in the next available post. Spoiler - extra time is involved!

Next we would face Brighton at home. The men seemed sufficiently motivated to put on a good show. English Keeper Ben Amos, Formerly of Manchester United, would pitch a clean sheet with the help of his defense. Sarr and Mancienne would play solidly throughout. Our offense fed off our defense, as we turned turnovers into scoring opportunities. Midfielders Andy Reid gave us the early lead in the 17th minute by blasting the ball top right corner off a Dexter Blackstock feed. Dutch Striker Lars Veldwijk would score his 1st goal of the season in the 55th minute to start the second half. A terrible mistake by defender Ince led to an own goal, which gave us a commanding 3 goal lead in the 79th minute. Midfielder David Vaughan capped off the scoring in the 86th minute by scorching a Dexter Blackstock feed past the outstretched arms of Brighton keeper Stockdale for the 4-0 final score.

We would visit Wigan Athletic at DW stadium for the last Championship game of September. I reminded the men that we needed to be relentless, and the importance of finishing the month off strong. Apparently they heeded my words. A mad scramble in front of Wigan's goalmouth led to our first score as defender Waghorn's errant clear led to an own goal and a 1-0 lead for the good guys in just the 8th minute. Striker Britt Assombalonga lurked like a shark waiting for prey, and Lansbury fed him with a beautiful pass which he buried into the back of the net as we took the 2 goal lead in just the 28th minute.

Following the halftime break, defender Waghorn earned a little redemption by scoring with a towering header off Forshaw's impeccably placed cross in the 47th minute. The match would tense up as we were holding onto a slim 1 goal lead. However our persistence paid off as Henri Lansbury nailed an important insurance goal in the 65th minute into the bottom left corner as we triumphed 3-1. And thus we ended the opening two month stretch by achieving 27 out of a possible 30 points and topping the Skybet Championship table!



[Coming up next, detailed story of Nottingham's exciting Capital One Clash with premier league side Liverpool!]
 
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Giant Slayers: The Bigger They Are...

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September 24th, 2014

The crowd is buzzing loudly at the City Ground as we play host to Liverpool in the 3rd round of the Capital One Cup on a cold Autumnal day. The oddsmakers place us as heavy underdogs against the 5th ranked Premier Division side. I marshalled the troops before the match and addressed them directly.

Caesar: Today's match is a test of courage. A test of our very manhood. Nobody gives us a chance in **** of pulling this out. But men, today I want you to rise up. Prove them WRONG. Prove your METTLE. When everybody counts you OUT, that is when Champions are born. This is when Champions step up. It will take every ounce of strength from every last one of us to Slay the Giant. But Giants have been slain before. And sometimes with a mere sling. I CHALLENGE you all today to become Giant Slayers! What say you, men?

Captain Andy Reid:
The grass will blush red from their blood. Our swords are sharp. Our eyes are keen. Our will is steady. Woe be they who stand before us. For we shall CUT THEM DOWN! And now we Sally Forth!

All: For GLORY! For CONQUEST!! For HONOR!!

On paper this matchup favored Liverpool. One of their top players alone easily valued as much as our entire roster. In terms of talent, they had an embarrassment of riches. However we were desperate to win, they were not. They likely were looking down at us from the ends of our noses. But they underestimated our will to win.

The opening 40 minutes was a sheer deadlock. Our men bodied up against Liverpool, contesting air space. Liverpool probed for weaknesses but found us not willing to give up even an inch. Brendan Roger's face on the opposite sideline appeared impassive, but I could see it in his eyes, a hint of puzzlement that we had not cracked under pressure yet. Surely he had the superior side, the advantage in quality, and in tactics?

I had drilled the men hard leading up to this match. The Clown Shoes practice stood out first and foremost. I could see the resentment in the eyes of some of the veterans and the puzzlement in the eyes of the young ones. But I made them run their drills at full speed. Some tripped over their oversized shoes, others waddled comically while trying to retain their balance. A lot of passes went awry that day, and lots of cursing could be heard either loudly or under muttered breath. What I drilled into them hardest that day was unity of action. They would have to help each other overcome their limitations. They would have to anticipate awkward passes, and tripped up runs. By the end of the day, the results were barely better, but the understanding of the men to each others limitations had grown in spades. The next practice, without the special shoes, was ten times better.

I grinned back at Rogers and offered him a mock salute. The Merseyside gaffer merely nodded back. Not aware of what was about to happen. The opening we were waiting for all day happened as Liverpool impatiently pressed the attack. Schrijvers raced up the right sideline as all our men as one surged forward up the field. No less than 5 precise passes sliced through Liverpool's backpedaling defense before Assombalonga found wingback Ylli Sallhi who struck a brilliant 25 yard ball that beat Mignolet to the far right post. The crowd ROARED with approval as we drew first blood! The Liverpool sideline appeared stunned as we took the 1 goal lead into the half-time break.

Caesar Half time Address: We well deserve the lead we now enjoy. That goal was no fluke, it was the result of beautiful football. However do not underestimate the enemy. For they are considered Giants for a reason. The key now is relentless pursuit of our Ultimate goal. Victory. When you have an enemy on the ropes bury them. When they fight back, you punch back harder. Understood? Now lets go out and Finish the Job.

I instructed the men to put a priority on possession. Now that we had the lead, it was essential that we allow no easy chances for Liverpool to make a comeback. And that strategy worked well for a while. I could see the frustration building in the eyes of the opposition side, as we played keep away with the ball. Content to prevent them from generating any meaningful offensive chances. We played magnificent defensive football. However, talent finds a way of winning through.

Despite sealing away Liverpool's weapons for the vast majority of the action, they bared their fangs in the 81st minute. Their weapon of choice Striker Seydou Doumbia, recently acquired from CSKA Moscow. Liverpool defensive midfielder Tarsi intercepted our attempted clear and lobbed a precision pass out to Balotelli wide. The Italian striker sent a sizzling cross to a streaking Doumbia, who struck a hard shot that riccocheted off Darlow's hands. Continuing his forward momentum, the deadly Ivorian striker collected his own rebound and struck home the game-tying goal! Thousands of Nottingham fans groaned as one in reaction.

The remaining 10 or so minutes of regulation time ended in deadlock as both defenses were instructed to buckle down and not an inch of space could be found. As extra time begun I made the signal. A thumbs down gesture that the Romans used to instruct gladiators to finish off their downed opponents. My men understood the signal immediately, and began extra time with a vicious energy that Rogers surely did not anticipate!

Our high pressure attack forced Liverpool into clearing a sideout. From the set piece throw in, Sallahi found Lansbury who delived a perfect pass to the foot of Cohen who struck the midair volley to score before Mignolet could even flinch. In the 93rd minute of extra time we had taken the 2-1 lead and our home crowd roared their delighted approval!

A more conservative manager would have called back the hounds at this point and parked the bus. But I smelled blood in the water and so did the men. Again I gave the thumbs down gesture. We attacked and pressed as aggressively as we started extra time and this time forced a corner. Chris Cohen found our defensive midfielder Francis Coquelin unmarked just inside the box. The French national representative showed off his strong right foot as he blasted the ball goalwards. It bounced off an intervening Liverpool defender, but Francis pursued the rebound and drove the ball home with his follow up shot, just out of reach of a diving Mignolet. Again our Nottingham fans let out a mighty roar, their throats hoarse from cheering but they were loving it!! At the 104 minute mark of extra time, we had Liverpool on the ropes, up 3-1!

To their credit, the Liverpool side was bloodied but far from done. They pulled off a counter attack in the 109th minute as Doumbia raced up the field, our men closed in, but he found a late arriving Brannagan who pulled back one to make the score 3-2. I crossed my arms and shook my head once. The men got the message. We parked the bus and formed an impenetrable barrier. Killing off the remaining minutes, my men emerged as victorious Giant Slayers! The final score of 3-2 would stand in our favor!

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Post Game Interview

Reporter: Caesar, your men have just triumphed over a much larger Liverpool side in Capital One Cup competition. Did you believe that you could pull this off or did it come as a surprise to you?
Caesar: We might have surprised the Sporting World today, but I know my men. I expected this outcome. Every day I see them shed their blood and sweat on the practice field. I could not be prouder than to lead these men. They are true soldiers. And they have earned this victory.
Reporter: Was there some element of luck to this win?
Caesar: *smirks* Was Big Ben built by 'accident'? We have built one of the finest troops in Europe. We stand atop the Championship table. And we just defeated one of the top 5 units from the Premier League. Nottingham is the House that we Built! And anybody who enters, Prepare to Bleed!
Reporter: Well, Julius Caesar, congratulations on a magnificent feat! Nottingham fans are expressing delight as we speak. Some of them are pouring onto the field and security is having a hard time fending them off.
Caesar: *smiles* Let them celebrate tonight. We will have even more good news to share as the season progresses. Winners earn the right to do as they please!

[Did you enjoy our Triumph over Liverpool! Follow along as Nottingham Forest aims for the top! Register your Likes if you want to see a continuation of the story!]
 
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Rodgers a Sore Loser?

September 24th 2014

Liverpool boss Brendan Rogers refuses to shake Nottingham boss Julius Caesar's hand after losing in the Capital One Cup. Apparently there is no love lost between the new Nottingham boss and current Liverpool boss. After the match the two men were seen exchanging words up close, after which Rodgers then refused to shake hands with Caesar.

We reached out to Caesar for comments after which he responded. "I merely sent my warm regards to his most current missus. The chap apparently is a bit stuck up about it. It's not like it isn't completely obvious what the bloke is up to. And considering she's 10 years young and a lot prettier than his old ball and chain, I can't say I blame him. He'll burn in **** for it, but it's probably worth it. *winks*"

Caesar is probably referring to Rogers new mistress/girlfriend, the 31 year old honeypot Charlotte Hind. She has been pictured multiple times in public with Rogers who insists that he is not carrying on a relationship with the younger woman.

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"In the end, this game is about Sportsmanship. Obviously Rogers is lacking in that area. But it's ok. I'll kick his **** again when I bring my club up into the Prem next season as well. And if he still won't shake my hand then, well I'll just offer him the other end! *chuckles*"
 
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September 25th 2014

Nottingham Star Speaks out about Clown Shoes Incident

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"I'll be honest," admits Nottingham Captain Andy Reid, pictured above, "When I first saw what he had in mind I thought he'd gone batty." The Irish midfielder has been with the club since 2011 and is now starting on his 4th year. He has been counted on to lead the Nottingham side this season under Boss Caesar's reign. "But here we stand, winners over Liverpool. I've gotta admit, it was all psychology. He had a plan to light a fire under us and it worked. We become closer knit after that. And we are going to end up stronger than ever."

When we asked him what kind of emotions he went through that day, Reid responded candidly. "Of course I was embarrassed. Here I am a grown man, and I'm running around in these floppy clown shoes! I tripped quite a few times that day until I finally got used to moving in them. Slowed me down a lot, they did. But we all worked through it together as a side. If it were any other manager... Well let's just say there is a method to Caesar's madness. As long as his leadership helps us win, well, I know I'm going to do whatever it takes."

We asked for his final thoughts concerning the season and how it had gone so far. "We're in firm control of the Championship right now. As long as we take care of our own games, we can stay on top. There's still a long season to go, but I believe we have the right group of men to win a lot of games and the right leadership to find us the best ways to win. By the way, hi mum! That's all the time I have, gotta go now!"
 
Player of the Month Awards
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In the month of September, two of Nottingham's own received awards for their fine play.

First up is 27 year old English midfielder Chris Cohen. He has bossed the midfield admirably for Nottingham, racking up a spectacular 8.82 rating in 5 league appearances this month to earn the Skybet Championship player of the month award.

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Next is 21 year old striker Britt Assomabalonga. The promising young striker has netted an astonishing 4 times in 5 appearances to earn the Skybet Championship young player of the month award.

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Julius Caesar: Chris and Britt have really shown their class this September. As long as they play well and keep their heads in the game, we stand a better chance of winning when they are on the pitch. These two players constantly hone their craft and help make the other players around them better. I look forward to their continued fine play. As I said from the start, our aim is to Conquer the Championship. We need our guys to play like this not just for a month, but all season long if we are to reach our Ultimate Goal.
 
OOC: How should the story continue?

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So in case you didn't know, the way I am coming up with the stories for the individual matches is by reviewing the match after it is played and trying to describe the goals to you as they actually happen. What I am finding though is that there are a LOT of games played. Especially in the Championship the schedule includes 46 league games. So, it is very time consuming to cover everything in detail.

Not to mention we have the Capital One Cup coverage, and soon we have the FA Cup coming up as well

If we qualify for Europe in the future, that's another additional competition to cover.
Then again, just playing through and showing the final league table for the season would be kind of boring right?

Question A ***So I'm going to give you some options for the coverage of the competitions.

1. Boxscores for regular games, plus detailed story for rivalry and important league games.
2. Boxscores for regular games, plus short highlight sentence/take away of every match.
3. Detailed story or boxscore plus takeaway for Cup Competitions and European competitions (if/when we qualify).
4. Less player award highlights or More player award highlights.
5. More stories concerning the manager and/or rival manager or Less stories concerning the manager and/or rival manager.
6. More stories concerning transfers and/or transfer rumors or Less stories concerning transfers and/or transfer rumors.
7. More stories featuring player interviews or less of them.

Go ahead post your votes and feedback so I can decide how to craft the rest of the Nottingham story, or if there's enough interest to continue it.

Question B***Also, I'd like your feedback on how long you'd like to see the Nottingham story covered.

1. One or two seasons is enough.
2. Until you hit a top feat, like the treble.
3. I'd like to see your 5 year plan unfold.
4. As many seasons as possible, I can't get enough!

Question C*** Finally, I'd like to ask what are your favorite posts of the story so far and what would you like to see more of? Do the tabloid style side stories interest and amuse, do player reactions to the manager's outlandish training techniques amuse? Did Rogers refusing to shake Caesar's hand amuse? Whatever you can think of let me know so I can decide where to focus the content.

Looking forward to your feedback and votes for Questions A, B, and C!
Hail Caesar! :)
 
Love the panache. Loved the clown shoes incident the best.
 
A ****** Autumn: Contending for the Crown

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Our campaign for glory would march on into the Autumnal months. In October and November we battled hard as we sought to solidify our claim on the Championship Crown.

We started off the month of October at home in cold drizzling weather against Ipswich. We would end up in an unexpected goalfest. The game-winning score came from the boot of Belgian loanee Siebe Schrijvers as he pounced on a juicy rebound and blasted the ball into the back of the net to give us the final lead 5-4 in the 78th minute. I was far from pleased with our defense that day but could make no complaint over the final result. It was a win and a vital 3 points.

After a nearly 2 week break, we would pay a visit to Cardiff. They would draw first blood thanks to winger Kim Bo-Kyung's 42nd minute strike. However we would enjoy the last laugh as the Korean winger gifted us with an own goal in the 58th minute. Michail Antonio gave us the lead in the 62nd minute as he tucked the ball in off Andy Reid's rebound. Finally Britt Assombolanga was pulled down by the shirt by Cardiff defender Manga just in front of goal. The Congolese striker drove the penalty shot home with authority into the bottom left corner to give us our final 3-1 margin of victory.

The next match saw us take an excursion to Vicarage Road as we took on the Watford Hornets. We made a right mess of their nest as we slaughtered them 8-3. The fields ran with blood that day as we gashed their defense open with scoring run after scoring run. Midfielder Chris Cohen led the spearhead of our assault with a magnificent hattrick. It was a dominant display of offensive prowess as our side showed the entire league how devastating our offense could be!

As October drew to a close, we sought to continue our winning run against Blackburn at home. 21 year old striker Britt Assombalonga led the way with a brace as we cruised to a comfortable 5-2 home win.

Next up we faced a tough challenge in the Capital One Cup Fourth Round as we would have to visit White Hart Lane and take on premier league side Tottenham. A detailed post of that matchup will follow.

Just 2 days later, we opened up November with an away match against Huddersfield. Our side had tired legs and it showed as we drew to a listless 1-1 draw against the Terriers. Bermudan Striker Wells would score their only goal in the 59th minute off a penalty. And we would salvage a point thanks to loanee Danilo Cataldi's blistering last second strike in the 94th minute of extra time.

The Brentford Bees would come visit us at the City Ground. Apparently homecooking agreed with us, as our side took the sting out of the visiting team. 29 year old English striker Matty Fryatt led the way with a brace as we emerged victorious in a 3-1 contest that we controlled throughout.

Our homestand would continue against Norwich. And our crowd had much to shout about. Francis Coquelin continued to show why he has been one of our best pickups of the season as he scored at the 3 minute mark with a vicious top shelf strike. Cataldi and Lansbury would tally too as we scored 3 unanswered, with Norwich midfielder Johnson's 75th minute strike serving as mere consolation in our convincing 3-1 triumph.

Next we would visit Molineux as we took on the Wolves. Our visit to the Wolves Den ended in a copious displays of offensive efforts from both sides but little to no defense. Jamie Patterson and Matty Fryatt would lead the way with a brace apiece. But alas it was not enough to overcome our lack of defence. The Wolves would cash in the full 3 points as Wright-Phillips torched our defenders with an inspired hat trick. His goal in the 60th minute would provide the final margin in their 5-4 victory.

I gathered the team round after the loss and let them have a veritable tongue lashing.
Caesar: Your display of "defence" today is an embarrassment to the sport of Football. My grandmother could have scored on you today, and she's on a walker! ****, you made Wright-Phillips look like Christiano Freaking Ronaldo out there! I want you lot to dig deep, and look hard in the mirror. Are you a better man than what you showed out there today? Because half of you look like you should be wearing dresses instead. Now hit the showers. We've got a long ride home.

A week later we would close out November with a visit to St Andrews as we took on Birmingham. Apparently our defenders took my previous speech to heart as they put out twice as much effort as the previous match, in the process securing a clean sheet. Midfielder Henri Lansbury and left winger Jamie Patterson gave us all the offense we would need as they tallied in the 36th and 54th minutes respectively of our 2-nil win

Our Autumnal league run of 7 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss allowed us to maintain our 1st place position in the Championship table with just a slim lead over 2nd place Norwich. At this point in time, it appeared that we were both frontrunners for promotion to the Premier League. Norwich had been predicted by the media to finish 1st overall, but I had different designs on who would end up winning that Trophy!

Fixtures for October and November:
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End of Autumn Address:
Caesar: We have the Championship right where we want it men. Today we stand atop the mountain in top position. However we can't afford to get too comfortable. Norwich is right behind us and any slip up could cost us the Crown.

Let me remind you of this fact - Champions are not born, they are made. We have worked so hard to make ourselves into Champions. Do NOT let this moment of Glory slip away. Let's grab the Honors that we deserve with our own hands and never let it slip out of our grasp! Do you want to become Legends of the pitch? Well let's write our own story. From this day forward we March on History!
 
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Cup Contention: A Cinderalla Run?
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October 29th, 2014

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It was a chilly day at White Hart Lane. I had the lads warm up early so they wouldn't be affected by the cold as much. We were definitely in hostile territory, and nobody gave us a snowball's chance of coming out on top. But our entire season so far had been about defying the odds.

Caesar: Listen up men. Forget about what the press says. We've got a great chance of winning this one. We beat Liverpool didn't we? And they are a top 5 side in the Prem. The Spurs, we can hang with them. Just don't let the crowd get to you. Focus on playing OUR GAME. Be cautious when need be, but as soon as they expose the throat, you dive for it, fangs bared!

Andy Reid: So who's scared of the big bad ****? I now I ain't! Let's pluck us some chickens, men!

All: We fight for honor! We fear no man! We claim victory on this fine day!

Over 30,000 spectators filled the seats at White Hart Lane. And the roar they let out at the opening whistle was impressive to be sure. The crowd would let loose mightily as their men scored first. Spurs midfielder Stambouli let rip a powerful shot, and Fullback Essou-Ekotto snaked in to put away the rebound before our defenders could clear the loose ball. So our match began with a ****** lip right off the bat.

I shouted to our side and exhorted them on, promising dire punishments to the next man to slip up. Fortunately our reply was quick in coming. From a sideout, Francis Coquelin found our Captain Andy Reid sitting by himself at the top of the box, Reid launched a rocket off his left boot and then let out a mighty bellow as the ball found the back of the net!! With that 18th minute score, we were suddenly back in the game and all the men took heart, a bright gleam of hope in their eyes. We headed into halftime knotted at 1 apiece.

Halftime Address: We have them right where we want them. Within striking distance. When the enemy comes within range of your weapons, what do we do men?

All: We strike! We show no mercy! We bring them under our boot!

Andy Reid: Let's stomp em, men! The 2nd half will be ours!

All: For Blood and Honor! Win!!

Our men came out energized to start the second half. Pochettino probably had expected us to roll over, but that was definitely not part of our gameplan. Our entire 11 came out with intensity, contesting every ball. Our pressure up the pitch led to a crucial sideline forceout. A beautiful throw in found Andy Reid with the football and options. The Captain made a snap decision and fed the ball to an unmarked Henri Lansbury. Henri let loose with laser precision as he beat the keeper cleanly to give us the 2-1 lead at the 53rd minute mark. The stunned looks of disbelief on the faces of over 30,000 fans warmed the cockles of my heart. White Hart Lane fell ghostly silent.

Only 20 minutes, later we would add to their misery. Our side's aggression led to a corner kick opportunity. Jamie Paterson nailed a picture perfect corner pass, and Dexter Blackstock leaped majestically into the air as he knocked the ball just above the outstretched reach of Spurs keeper Vorm! We were up 3-1, and the men zoomed around the field in a choreographed line, mimicking jet airplanes flying around the pitch!

I roared my approval of the important 3rd goal, but waved my hands in a gesture for the men to settle down. This match still had 20 minutes to go and we still had to hang on. As expected, the Spurs were not about to go down quietly into the night. They pressed up the pitch and moved their players into more dangerous forward positions. It was all we could do to stop them from getting direct shots onto our keeper. Finally, they forced a corner kick. Their set piece ace, Eriksen stepped up and delivered a hauntingly beautiful corner kick. As the ball launched into the air it kept curving towards goal, until a leaping Veljkovic met the ball at its highest point and pulled one back for the Spurs in the 85th minute! A grimly quiet Spurs crowd erupted as one!

I gave the signal to park the bus. It would take another tense 7 minutes of holding on by our nails before the final whistle blew and we had triumphed 3-2 at White Hart Lane!!

Caesar: Quite simply, that was a magnificent effort men. A hard fought battle, and we are deserving of every bit of this victory! Hold your heads high, I am proud of you. We proved our doubters wrong today. We are made of STERNER stuff! Now let's continue to build momentum and keep winning in the League as well!

The Nottingham fans following along back home were jubilant and quick to post their approval of our epic Capital One Cup triumph!

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Great reading! Well written :) I personally would appreciate more info about players, their development, and your selection policy etc. Keep up the good work. (the clown shoes cracked me up so hard in the bus on my way from work....)
 
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